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The Accident Investigation Boards of Sweden, Finland and Estonia have agreed that further underwater investigations from Estonia are needed, writes the Swedish Accident Investigation Board in a press release.
“The investigating authorities They are aware that the current legal situation prevents underwater reconnaissance near the wreck and have informed their respective governments of the situation as a result of the Estonian flag state decision. Modifications to the legislation or its interpretation will be made in accordance with international law, ”the press release states.
Jonas Bäckstrand, deputy director general of the Swedish Accident Investigation Board, tells DN that it is important to take a closer look at the two holes in the helmet.
– We make our request in light of the new information on holes in the hull that were not known before and we believe that the occurrence should be examined more closely. You want as good and well-founded facts as possible.
– We’re not sure you should go down with human divers. Some type of dive vehicle may suffice. We won’t have to go to Estonia except where the holes are.
Among other things, it may be necessary to expose parts of the container that are in sand and to sample the metal around the holes. Smaller parts may need to be retrieved to get answers on how the holes have arisen.
Why haven’t holes been known before?
– Everything indicates that the ship was to starboard and that since then it has moved and is more visible than in 1994.
How do you see making your work public?
– It is very important but we must also work in peace and we cannot publish all the discussions at this time. However, the results must be published. Whatever comes to mind, it is important that we can show that they are facts and not speculation.
A press conference will be held on Friday at 2:15 pm with the Minister of the Interior, Mikael Damberg, and John Ahlberk, Director General of the Swedish Accident Investigation Board.
According to Damberg, changes can be made during the first half of 2021:
– There is broad consensus in the Riksdag that everything possible should be done to investigate the holes, but also that grave peace laws should not be lifted. This is not a general repeal of the Law of Peace in Graves.
– My absolute conviction is that it is possible to carry out on-site investigations that are carried out in a responsible manner.
Jonas Bäckstrand tells DN that you do not have to enter the ship but can only inspect around the holes.
In November he was rewarded the documentary series “Estonia – the find that changes everything” with the Grand Prize for Journalist after showing a hole in the starboard side of the ship. Since then, the Accident Investigation Board has participated in unpublished footage of the film crew’s dives. The authority has also re-examined the Estonian bow visor and met with relatives of those who died in the accident.
Mikael Oscarsson (KD), who has been involved in the Estonian sinking issue, expects there to be dives:
– It is very gratifying that now it seems that there will be new dives because today we know that there are several holes in the hull. The investigation of the previous accident found that there was no hole, says Mikael Oscarsson, who is a member of the Defense Committee and the Defense Committee.
Oscarsson also says that it is important that the allocation does not become too limited and not just look at whether the Armed Forces and FMV had any transportation that went with Estonia during the weeks around the accident.
– We have to see if there can also be other actors, he says.
Additionally, Oscarsson wants an independent commission to investigate the accident.
– Sweden, Finland and Estonia may not be the ones who said they do this, but some other country.
Jonas Bäckstrand says, however, that the Swedish Accident Investigation Board has more independence in such investigations today than in 1994.
– I understand that point of view, but it is the Swedish Accident Investigation Board that has the task of investigating maritime accidents and independence has been strengthened since the Estonian accident, which did not exist in 1994.
The M / s Estonia sank on September 28, 1994 on its way from Tallinn to Stockholm. 852 people on board lose their lives. 501 of them were Swedish.
Read more:
Info: Accident Investigation Board wants to see dives in Estonia
